Steam-turbine.



HENRY GEISENI-INER, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

STEAM-TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 665,600, dated January 8, 1901. Application iiled October 31, 1898. Serial No. 694,992. (No model.)

To all whom, it' may concern.: cient than the form which I prefer, which con- Be it known that I, HENRY GEISENHNER, sists of back and face plates made of pressed a citizen of the United States, residing at sheet metal and provided with stiffening- Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady plates between the two, with means for se- 55 and State of New York, have invented cercuring the parts together. In general I pretain new and useful Improvements in Steamfer to provide a shoulder upon the face-plate Turbines, (Case No. 901,) of which the foland to bring the edges of the back-plate into lowing is a specification. the shoulder, confining the parts by rivets,

My present invention relates to steam-turas I have found that if the edge of the back- 6o 1o bines, and has for its object principally to plate projects to any extent beyond the genprovide a new and more desirable form of eral contour of the back the high pressures bucket for this type of engine. Buckets for used with these engines will tend to force the steam-turbines have in the past usually been plates apart and destroy the bucket. made of cast or wrought metal. They are of In the accompanying drawings, which show 65 peculiar shape, their general configuration an embodiment of my invention, Figure l is and characteristics being fixed by certain a View, developed, of a portion of the periphphysical laws, to which it is unnecessary here ery of a compound steam-turbine provided to refer. This shape necessitates having the with buckets constructed in accordance with buckets thin upon the edges, and cast metal my invention; and Figs. 2, 3, and -l show the 7o 2o has been found in practice to be objectionconstruction of the buckets in detail.

able because of insufficient strength at the In Fig. 1 I show the abutment H, usually thinner parts o f the bucket and also because fixed in space, and two wheels W W, each it makes the wheel or revolving part of the capable of rotation with reference to the abutturbine unduly heavy. To some extent the ment. The nozzle, casing, &c., are omitted 75 same objections arise with wrought metal .in the drawings, since my invention relates buckets; but the principal objection to their solely to the construction of the buckets K K use has been the great cost, since it has been K, which are best seen in the perspective defound quite impracticable to form them by tail, Fig. 3, and in the section, Fig. 2. They forging, and the only method heretofore availeach consist of face-plates k and back-plates 8o 3o able has been to cut them by hand from a k', secured together by the rivets N N. The

ring of forged steel of the diameter of the face-plate is provided with a shoulder or rewheel. In practice I have found that only cess k2 on the side next to the back-plate lo', one man can be employed efficiently at one andthe edge of the latter is fitted into the time in this work and that this construction recess or shoulder, so that the curved back 85 3 5 is so slow and costly as to be entirely uncomcontour of the bucket is unbroken. I prefer mercial. Vhile in many cases the increase also to braze the parts securely together, so in weight is not objectionable, as it increases that they may resist high pressures more sucthe iiy-wheel effect, it is nevertheless highly cessfully. desirable to diminish the centrifugal strains At the top and bottom 0f the bucket Ipro- 9o 4o in all the high-speed machines and to keep vide plates M M. The form of one of these down the total weight of the engine. The plates, which is also of stamped or pressed construction which I have devised obviates sheet metal, is shown in Fig. 4:. It is prothe defects pointed out and in addition is simvided with. ears m m, which pass through ple and considerably cheaper than the castpreferably wedge-shaped recesses in the face 95 metal form, the attachment to the turbine beand back plates, as shown in Fig. 2, the ears ing also more secure. being then upset in place and ground oif, so Buckets constructedin accordance with my that the curve of the bucket is maintained. invention are ofsheet metal. While they Screw-holes m' fm are then drilled through might be formed, if desired, from metal of the plates M, and through these screw-holes roo sufficient thickness to be stamped in a single the bolts or screws are passed to hold the piece, this is more costly and not more eftl buckets to the rim of the wheel.

By the construction .described I am able to make a strong and substantial bucket at Very low cost.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

I. As a new article of manufacture, a bucket for a turbine, comprising a pluralityof sheets of metal arching in the same direction but having different slopes and joined together at their edges, and sheet-metal strengthening-strips between the two, secured to the same at points between their ends.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a bucket for a turbine, comprising a curved sheet of metal, a curved sheet of shorter radius secured thereto at its back to stiffen the bucket, and means for supporting bolts between the two, to secure the bucket to a wheel.

3. Asanew article of manufacture, asteamturbine bucket, of pressed metal, composed of curved back and face plates connected together and to transverse stiffening-plates in which are provided openings to accommodate bolts to secure the bucket to a wheel.

4. As a new and useful manufacture, a

steam-turbine bucket of pressed sheet metal, having a curvedv face-plate with shoulders, a curved back-plate with its ends fitted into the shoulders, stiifening-plates spacing the two apart, and means for securing the parts together.

5. A sheet metal bucket for a turbine formed of two sheets of metal arched in the same direction but curved on different radii, secured together and to a transverse stiening-plate provided with screw-holes for attachment to the wheel. v

6. A sheet metal bucket for a turbine formed of two sheets of metal curved on different radii and united to transverse stiftening-plates between the two at or near their ends, the stiifening-plates being provided with screw-h oles for attachment of the bucket to the wheel.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of October, 1895,

HENRY GEISENHONER. Witnesses:

B. B. HULL, M. H. EMERSON. 

